The University of Mississippi’s Interfraternity Council formal recruitment process, overseen by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, began on Friday, Aug. 26, with more than 1,000 potential new members participating in this fall’s recruitment.
During the week, potential new members have the chance to meet with each of the 16 IFC chapters in a formal setting. After these meetings, also known as recruitment rounds, potential new members and chapters participate in a mutual selection process to narrow down their options.
Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Spencer Laiben gave a speech at the IFC Formal Recruitment Convocation on Aug. 26 informing potential new members of the importance of their decision to participate in formal recruitment.
“It may seem as if you simply signed up to participate in a student organization,” Laiben said. “You are called to much more.”
Laiben also imparted to potential new members the importance of joining one of the sixteen chapters that complement their personal values.
“Search for an exemplification of your ideals, reflected in the rhetoric of those you hope to align yourself with,” he said.
The IFC website encourages potential new members to “keep an open mind, ask questions and be yourself.”
To conclude formal recruitment, potential new members will be presented with bids, which are invitations to join a fraternity. Each potential new member can receive up to three separate bids from the different IFC chapters, but they can only accept one. Potential new members can also choose to not accept a bid.
According to the IFC’s Instagram page, more than 1,100 students participated in formal recruitment during the 2021 fall semester. Of those who went through the process, 938 accepted bids, which is an 85% placement rate.
Still, a high placement rate is not the focus of formal recruitment.
“We’re hoping that we can get all of the members into the right chapters with the values that best align with their own personal values,” Laiben said.
Membership invitations, or bids, will be delivered to each potential new member participating in recruitment on Friday, Sept. 2.
Laiben informed those in attendance about the impact that the decision to participate in formal recruitment has, not only in the present but also for future fraternity members.
“Each of you must take on the obligation of ensuring future generations have a fraternal experience that resembles the image our founders envisioned,” he said.
While potential new members prepared to meet each chapter, current fraternity members worked to prepare for recruitment.
Fraternity members exclusively comprise the Interfraternity Council, Judicial Board and team of Rho Alphas, members that function as guides for rushing students. These men oversee different facets of formal recruitment, but all work in conjunction with each other and all chapters on campus to create a successful rush process.
With the first few rounds of recruitment already completed, the different fraternity chapters have met expectations thus far.
“We’re really proud of our chapters,” Laiben said. “They have all been at the top of their game.”
